ESTEVAN - Hockey teams across North America will host a Teddy Bear Toss Night this year.
When the home team scores its first goal of the night, fans toss teddy bears and other stuffed animals onto the ice.
But there won't be any Teddy Bear Toss goals bigger than the one in Estevan on Saturday night.
Ewan Rennie scored the lone goal of the game 57 seconds into overtime to lift the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins to a 1-0 win at Affinity Place. Fans littered the ice with bears after the goal.
Benjamin Polhill made 30 saves to earn his first SJHL shutout. Eleven of the saves came in the first period, and 13 more were in the third.
Justen Maric had 34 saves for the Stars.
The teams went a combined 0-for-12 on the power play at one point, but then the Stars' Rylan Williams was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a check from behind. Rennie scored the winner on the man advantage.
The teddy bears collected through the Teddy Bear Toss will go to the Estevan Salvation Army, who will distribute the bears into the community.
The night before, the Bruins ended a four-game losing streak by defeating the Stars 3-2. Cole Robertson's first SJHL goal with 4 1/2 minutes to play in the first period opened the scoring, and Jacob Hufty, who rejoined the Bruins recently, doubled the lead 54 seconds later. The Stars Brett Boucher halved the advantage 21 seconds after Hufty's goal.
Ryder Dembo's first in the SJHL tied the game for the Stars early in the second.
It remained a 2-2 contest until Cody Polumbus scored his first in the SJHL for the Bruins at the 4:45 mark of the third. The Bruins held onto the lead from there.
Polhill stopped 32 shots for the Bruins, while Maric had 35 saves for the Stars.
Estevan (7-9-2-1) will play the Notre Dame Hounds on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. in Carlyle. Then they will host the Weyburn Red Wings the following night at Affinity Place, also at 7 p.m.
More to come.
